OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: SATURDAY 25TH DECEMBER 2021.
THEME: SAVED BY GRACE!
MEMORISE:
She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
John 8:11
READ: John 8:1-11
1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
MESSAGE:
Grace, rom the Christian point of view is popularly described as unmerited favor. This is because literally, it is kindness of the highest order, and it comes from no other person but the Almighty God. Noah is a typical example of someone who enjoyed grace, having been spared during the flood, according to Genesis 6:7-8:
“And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”
Another instance of grace in action is the story of the woman caught in adultery. Just as she was about to lose her life for this act of sexual immorality, grace delivered her (John 8: 1-11). The woman was fortunate to have been dragged to the Savior -Jesus Christ. He said in John 11:25-26:
“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die….”
In the course of the trial of this woman in the ‘court’ of Jesus Christ, grace spoke for her and the Lord asked:
“……Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more……” John 8:10-11
Jesus says further in 8:12: ” …..I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
This is grace in action. The Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth to die for your sins. Remember, even the penitent thief crucified alongside Jesus Christ also experienced grace; Christ promised to see him in Paradise that same day of the crucifixion (Luke 23:39-43). This is the wonder of the cross- grace. Beloved, you can be a partaker of this grace also, no matter what your current situation is. Even if you are reading this devotional in the prison and have been condemned by the government of your land, do what that thief did: acknowledge your sins, repent of them, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. As we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ today, rest assured that God’s grace is more than enough for you. Hallelujah!
Father, forgive me all my past misdeeds. Please Lord, give me another chance to live for You, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Click here for TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS PRAYER POINTS.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 47-52.
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 2: AMAZING GRACE! HOW SWEET E SOUND.
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.